Collapsible umbrella

ABSTRACT

A collapsible umbrella comprising an extensible mainstay shaft; an upper runner (hub) secured to the terminal of said shaft; a middle runner and a lower runner slidably mounted on said shaft; a base rib having a U-shaped section pivoted at the base end thereof on said upper runner (hub), the other end thereof constituting a stopper consisting of an annular tube; a sliding tube having a mounting piece slidably fitted to the base rib; a slide rib pivoted at one end thereof on said mounting piece thereby enabling said slide rib to slide in or out of the base rib; a primary stay rib pivoted at the base end thereof on the lower runner and at the other end thereof on the mounting piece of said sliding tube; a secondary stay rib pivoted at the base end thereof on the middle runner and at the other end thereof on the middle part of the primary stay rib pivoted on the lower runner; a support lever comprising two lever members foldably linked together, a first lever member being pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub), a second lever member which is bifurcated being pivoted at the free end thereof in an elongated hole provided on the mounting piece of the sliding tube.

United States Patent [191 Yano [ Apr. 16, 1974 COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA 22 Filed: Nov. 13,1972

211 Appl. No.: 305,826

Primary ExaminerJ. Karl Bell Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack [57] ABSTRACT A collapsible umbrella comprising an extensible mainstay shaft; an upper runner (hub) secured to the terminal of said shaft; a middle runner and a lower runner slidably mounted on said shaft; a base rib having a U-shaped section pivoted at the base end thereof on said upper runner (hub), the other end'thereof constituting a stopper consisting of an annular tube; a sliding tube having a mounting piece slidably fitted to the base rib; a slide rib pivoted at one end thereof on said mounting piece thereby enabling said slide rib to slide in or out of the base rib; a primary stay rib pivoted at the base end thereof on the lower runner and at the other end thereof on the mounting piece of said sliding tube; a secondary stay rib pivoted at the base end thereof on the middle runner and at the other end thereof on the middle part of the primary stay rib pivoted on the lower runner; a support lever comprising two lever members foldably linked together, a first lever member being pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub), a second lever member'which is bifurcated being pivoted at the free end thereof in an elongated hole provided on the mounting piece of the sliding tube.

1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEHAPR 16 I974 SHEET 3 OF 5 mamemmsmn Y 3,804,105

SHEET U UF 5 FIGS COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA This invention relates to a collapsible umbrella, and more particularly to a collapsible umbrella in which the central part of the umbrella cloth is prevented from being damaged by being constricted between each umbrella rib, between each stay rib, between the upper runner (hub) and the middle runner, or between the middle runner and the larger diameter tube, when said umbrella is folded from the expanded state.

Generally, the known collapsible umbrella of this kind had expansible umbrella ribs or an expansible mainstay shaft, said ribs or shaft being expanded when in use and contracted when not in use thereby reducing the bulk of said umbrella.

However, the known collapsible umbrellas were liable to damage the umbrella cloth since the umbrella ribs and the stay ribs were concentrated on the mainstay shaft, t he middle runner sliding on said shaft, with the result that the central part of the umbrella cloth was constricted between each umbrella rib, between each stay rib, or between the middle runner and the mainstay shaft.

An object of this invention is to provide a collapsible umbrella in which the structural defects of the known model are obviated by enabling theumbrella to be collapsed without constricting the central part of the um-- brella cloth between each umbrella rib, between each stay rib, or between the middle runner and the mainstay shaft, thereby preventing the umbrella cloth from being damaged.

The collapsible umbrella of this invention comprises an expansible mainstay shaft, an upper runner (hub) secured to the terminal of the mainstay shaft, a middle runner and a lower runner slidably mountedon said shaft, respectively.

A base rib having a U-shaped section is pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub), the other end thereof constituting a stopper consisting of an annular tube.

A sliding tube is slidably mounted on the base rib, a slide rib being pivoted at one end thereof on a mounting piece provided on said sliding tube, said slide rib being adapted to slide inside the stopper and the base rib. according to the sliding movement of the sliding tube.

A primary stay rib is pivoted at one end thereof on the lower runner and at the other end thereof on the mounting piece of the sliding tube, a secondary stay rib being pivoted at the base end thereof on the middle runner and at the other end thereof on the middle part of the primary stay rib pivoted on the lower runner.

The collapsible umbrella further comprises a support lever consisting of two lever members foldably linked together, a first lever member being pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub), a second lever member which is bifurcated being pivoted at the free end thereof in an elongated hole provided on the mounting piece of the sliding tube.

FIG. 1 is a side section showing the principal part of the collapsible umbrella of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side section showing the state of collapse of the umbrella of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan showing the principal part of the collapsible umbrella of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on a magnified scale of a sliding tube slidable on a base rib and a slide rib slidable inside said base rib.

FIG. 5 to 8 are diagrams explaining the process from expansion to collapse of the umbrella of this invention.

This invention is now described in detail in reference to the annexed drawings. Referring to FIGS. l-4, the structure of the subject invention may be clearly understood. A mainstay shaft 1 is provided and consists of a smaller diameter tube 2 and a larger diameter tube 3, the mainstay shaft 1 being adapted to be expanded or contracted by sliding the smaller diameter tube 2 in or out of the larger diameter tube 3 an upper rubber (hub) 7 is secured to the terminal of the larger diameter tube 3 of the mainstay shaft 1 and a ferrule 17 is detachably screwed onto the upper part of said upper runner (hub) 7. A middle runner 4 and a lower runner 6 are slidably mounted below the upper runner (hub) on the larger diameter tube 3 A locking pawl 5 is provided on the lower runner 6, said locking pawl being adapted to halt the lower runner at a predetermined position when said lower runner slides upwardly or'downwardly on the larger diameter tube 3 and the smaller diameter tube 2 A base rib 9 is pivotally connected at the base end thereof on the upper runner (hub) 7, said base rib 9 having a U-shaped section, a stopper 12 consisting of an annular tube being fitted to the other end of the base rib 9; and a sliding tube 11 is slidably mounted on said base rib 9, a mounting piece 14 being provided on said sliding tube 11. A slide rib 10 is pivoted at one end thereof on said mounting piece by means ofa pin 15,

. said slide rib 10 being slidable inside the stopper 12 which consists an annular tube and the base rib 9 having a U-shaped section in accordance with the sliding motion of the sliding tube 11 on the base rib 9, an umbrella rib 8 is formed by said base rib, and slide rib, a drip tip 21 is formed at the other end of the slide rib 10. A support lever 22 is pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub) 7, the other endof said support lever 22 being pivoted in an elongated hole 26 provided on the mounting piece 14 of the sliding tube 11, said support lever 22 comprising two lever members 23 and 24 foldably linked together by means of a pin 25, a first lever member 23 of said support lever 22 being pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub) 7, a second lever member 24 being bifurcated on a plane, one end thereof being pivoted on said first lever member 23 by means of a pin 25, and the other end thereof being pivoted in an elongated hole 26 provided on the mounting piece 14 of the sliding tube. A primary stay rib 13 pivoted at the base end thereof on the lower runner 6 and at the other end thereof on the pin 15 of the mounting piece 14 of the sliding tube 11. Consequently one end of the slide rib l0 and the other end of the primary stay rib 13 are pivoted on the mounting piece 14 of the sliding tube 11 by means of the pin 15. A secondary stay rib l6 pivoted at one end thereof on the middle runner 4 and at the other end thereof on the middle part of the primary stay rib 13. Finally umbrella cloth 18, is provided the central part thereof being constricted between the ferrule 17 anthe upper runner (hub) 7, said umbrella cloth being sewn up by thread 19 at the part of the drip tip 21 and the sliding tube 11.

The collapsible umbrella of this invention is characterized in that a first lever member 23 of a support lever 22 is pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub) 7, a second lever member 24 which is bifurcated being pivoted at the free end thereof in an elongated hole 26 provided on the mounting piece 14 of the sliding tube, said lever members 23 and 24 being foldably linked together by means of a pin 25.

The drawings show an embodiment in which the support lever 22 is pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub) 7. However, the same effect is obtainable by securing a hub-like member between the upper runner (hub) 7 and the ferrule 17, the support lever 22 being pivoted at one end thereof on said hub-like member.

This invention comprises a construction as described hereinbefore wherein, since two lever members 23 and 24 are foldably and radially pivoted on the upper runner (hub) 7, the umbrella rib 8, the primary stay rib l3 and the secondary stay rib 16 are concentrated about the mainstay shaft 1 when the umbrella is collapsed, but the two lever members 23 and 24 constituting the support lever 22 are outwardly bent by means of the pin 25 with the result that the umbrella cloth of said portion is also outwardly expanded. Consequently, the umbrella of this invention is collapsible without the risk of the umbrella cloth being damaged by constriction between the upper runner (hub) 7 and the middle runner 4, between each umbrella rib 8, between each primary stay rib 13, or between the middle runner 4 and the larger diameter tube 3 in accordance with the sliding motion of said middle runner 4 on said larger diameter tube 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 to 8, the state of collapse of the umbrella cloth, each rib and each stay rib when the umbrella of this invention is folded is described as follows.

The expanded umbrella shown in FIG. 5 is collapsible by disengaging the pawl 5 of the lower runner 6 from the penetration hole 20 of the larger diameter tube 3 thereby enabling said lower runner 6 to slide downwardly in the direction of the smaller diameter tube 2, as a result of which the base rib 9 and the slide rib 10 are folded in the direction-of the mainstay shaft 1 by the primary stay rib. l3 pivoted on said lower runner 6 through the sliding tube 11. Simultaneously, the middle runner 4 is also slid downwardly through the secondarystay rib 16 by the descent of the primary stay rib 13.

The lower runner 6 is slid further downwardly until said lower runner 6 reaches the lowest extremity and the pawl 5 thereof is locked in the hole of the smaller diameter tube 2 thereby bringing the base rib 9 and the slide rib 10 in parallel with the mainstay shaft 1 as shown in FIG. 7. In this state, the mainstay shaft 1 comprising the larger diameter tube 3 and the smaller diameter tube 2 is elongated to the greatest extent, the base rib 9 and the slide rib 10 being also in a state of the greatest extension. Therefore, the umbrella cloth 18 is expanded between the upper runner (hub) 7 and the drip tip 21 in a state similar to that of an ordinary noncollapsible umbrella when said umbrella is folded up.

Then, the umbrella of this invention is collapsed from the state of FIG. 7 to that of FIG. 8 by pressing the lower runner 6 in the direction of the upper runner mainstay shaft 1, the middle runner 4 gradually approaches the upper runner (hub) 7 by sliding along the larger diameter tube 3. Then, in accordance with the sliding movement of the middle runner 4 in the direction of the upper runner (hub) 7, the sliding tube 11 mounted on the base rib 9 also travels in the direction of the upper runner (hub) 7 sliding on the base rib 9 and guided by the primary stay rib l3 pivoted on the lower runner. The slide rib l0 slides inside the base rib 9 guided by the sliding tube 11, with the result that the length of the umbrella rib 8 comprising the base rib 9 and the slide rib 10 is reduced to the length of the slide rib 9 only.

The umbrella cloth l8 bulges from the center thereoftoward the part sewn up to the sliding tube 11 in accordance with the reduction of the length of the umbrella rib 8 as shown in FIG. 8 since said umbrella cloth 18 is sewn up by thread 19 at the part of the drip tip 21 and the sliding tube 11 only. However, the bulge is outwardly expanded by the two lever members 23, 24 constituting the support lever 22 that are folded outwardly.

As described hereinbefore, since the central part of the umbrella cloth is outwardly expanded by the sup port lever 22, said central part is free from the risk of being constricted between 'each umbrella rib, between each stay rib, between the upper runner (hub) and the middle runner, or between the middle runner and the larger diameter tube. Therefore. the umbrella cloth is prevented from being damaged when the umbrella is collapsed.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible umbrella comprising an extensible mainstay shaft; an upper runner (hub) secured to the terminal of said mainstay shaft; a middle runner and a lower runner slidably mounted on said shaft; a base rib having a U-shaped section pivoted at the base end thereof on said upper runner (hub); the other end of said base rib constituting a stopper consisting of an annular tube; a sliding tube having a mounting piece slidably mounted on said base rib; a slide rib pivoted at one endthereof on said mounting piece thereby enabling said slide rib to slide in or out of the base rib; a primary stay rib being pivoted at the base end thereof on the lower runner and the other end thereof on the mounting piece of the sliding tube; a secondary rib pivoted at the base end thereof on the middle runner and at the other end thereof on the middle part of the primary I on the mounting piece of the sliding tube. 

1. A collapsible umbrella comprising an extensible mainstay shaft; an upper runner (hub) secured to the terminal of said mainstay shaft; a middle runner and a lower runner slidably mounted on said shaft; a base rib having a U-shaped section pivoted at the base end thereof on said upper runner (hub); the other end of said base rib constituting a stopper consisting of an annular tube; a sliding tube having a mounting piece slidably mounted on said base rib; a slide rib pivoted at one end thereof on said mounting piece thereby enabling said slide rib to slide in or out of the base rib; a primary stay rib being pivoted at the base end thereof on the lower runner and the other end thereof on the mounting piece of the sliding tube; a secondary rib pivoted at the base end thereof on the middle runner and at the other end thereof on the middle part of the primary stay rib pivoted on the lower runner; and a support lever consisting of two lever members foldably linked together, a first lever member being pivoted at one end thereof on the upper runner (hub), a second lever member which is bifurcated being slidably connected at the free end thereof in an elongated hole provided on the mounting piece of the sliding tube. 